


The Senju Clan

by Hashidrama



Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Pre-Canon, Pre-Konoha Village, Senju Clan-centric, Senju cousins, War, Warring States Period (Naruto), warring era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-23
Packaged: 2021-03-27 20:08:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30128172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hashidrama/pseuds/Hashidrama
Summary: Hashirama, Tobirama and Toka are growing up in a war-stricken world, in a clan that is just as dangerous as the world outside. Contains Senju OCs - cousins, relatives and other members of the clan. Later the plot might get violent. tw:child abuse (not worse than in canon)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	1. Remember This Moment

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place years after Madara left Hashirama, when Butsuma is still the leader of the clan.

#  **Prologue**

The memories of the clan are vivid, almost moving and Hashirama can hear them talk like the voices came from black reproductor boxes. It's like watching a movie in a vivacious order that wouldn't make sense to a strange that would get his hands on the memories. 

But the memories were Hashirama's and he held them dear. They were the only things Hashirama could ever own. They shaped who he was and they weren't perfect, but were stitched together from the images Hashirama's eyes saw and his ears hear. 

The moment his cousin gave him the crystal blue necklace. Her hair was bathed in golden sun. And Hashirama felt so lucky that this was his cousin and that he could be her confidant. Maybe he should have fall down to his knees right there, admit his love for her and beg her for a place in her heart. Maybe they could just run away and be happy somewhere else, away from the haunting face of war that was ferociously swallowing their souls. 

#  **Chapter 1**

***

No one knew how the war started anymore. Who was to blame, or which clans were the worst enemies. Perhaps, it was bourgeoisie, pitting one clan against another. Or elders of the clan, who loved their revenge, battles and their hatred towards other clans.

The only thing the youngsters knew was that the war was little too long, and it wore them off. It brought only sadness and dirt. Who could believe in heavens or god anymore when there was this butchery happening under him?

New generation, new ideals. New reasons to have hatred for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In war, sometimes, the hatred was the only thing a person really owned. But it is said that the one who wants revenge needs to dig up two graves. And there were many graves on both sides.

The Senju clan wasn’t aristocratic, or wealthy. They were at the bottom of the Fire country’s barrel, together with other clans. Civilians thought of them as barbarians. It wasn't a good time to be a ninja. Yet, the clan was rotten to its core. There was a war raging outside, but in the walls of the clan, it wasn’t much different. The times were tough, food was a currency and all they were able to do was to fight and do missions for much richer people, their daily bread.

And at the top of the Senju clan stood the almighty Senju Butsuma. A demon who was the worst of them all. People said he changed when his ex-wife left him. Other people said he had always been like that and that's why she left. No one knew where she was, but rumors said he killed her. Just like they said he killed his older brother. But that’s a story for another time.

Butsuma had only two sons left as the other two were victims of war. Fifteen year old Hashirama and fourteen year old Tobirama. Two talented children any parent would be proud of. Any parent, besides Butsuma. He wasn’t proud of them. Hashirama was problematic and Tobirama did not have a special kekkei genkai.

***

Hashirama had failed a recent mission and as punishment, he had to take care of an ailing member of the Senju clan council, Houji. Houji was a man in his thirties, suffering from a rare disease that prevented him from moving properly. His body hurt. He was quite wealthy, but no one could buy health. So, people were helping him out. Treating him with massages and by keeping him clean.

Houji knew his fate, his body would inevitably become completely paralyzed. This was pathetic for a shinobi of his caliber. He had probably just a few years to live before his breathing would become too difficult for his body to support and he would die of suffocation, turn purple, blue and then white. His wish was not to die in bed, but to take a suicide mission and perhaps take a few of those Uchiha dogs with him. Those were the only moments he smiled – when he was thinking of ending it in such a blast. It was marvelous. He didn’t say that he used to have a twin brother, Souji, often. His brother died years before him, but he was looking forward to seeing him after he would cross the mythical river. A river that severed the firm ties between twins like a knife.

Senju Hashirama was standing in front of the door, waiting for his cousin Yoruichi, who was supposed to help Hashirama care for the councilman. She arrived just in time, with a few bottles of oils in her arms. They weren’t that close as their fathers didn’t really like each other. She was more like an acquaintance than family. She knew exactly what she was supposed to do, massaging the man’s legs and feet that were slowly losing the ability to move.

The man was lying on his futon, visibly aching.

As Yoruichi started, Hashirama followed her lead. It was an unsaid, yet known fact, that Houji was dying and wouldn’t make it past a few years.

“Houji-sama, I wish we could provide you with some professional who would be here for you all the time,” Hashirama sighed. “But my father is saving money where he can, so I doubt he would pay for your caretaker,” he added.

Houji looked at Hashirama suspiciously. He was one of Butsuma’s loyal men and this felt fishy. “Be quiet, kid.”

“I wanted to say that if I became leader of the clan now, I would pay for the nurse,” Hashirama stated. “So people like us could train to become better ninjas.”

Yoruichi couldn’t believe her ears. Hashirama was here, spreading his propaganda.

“Why don’t you stop talking, Hashirama?” Houji seemed annoyed, he wanted to smack him, bad.

“I’m sorry, sir. May I ask you – how much time do you have.. Left?” The boy asked.

Houji’s hand slipped and smacked Hashirama. “How dare you ask such a personal question!” The man was angry.

“Does this hurt?” Yoruichi asked the older man, to change the topic, to calm him down.

“Does it matter? I will die  _ soon _ anyway,” said Houji, full of pessimism.

It caused Hashirama great grief. Houji was awaiting his own death and it was maybe worse than an unexpected death. He felt a strong urge to lift the heavy atmosphere.

“I think it has its perks, sir. At least you won’t ever get old and won’t smell like the elders usually smell! I kind of envy you,” Hashirama laughed out loud.

He was the only one laughing.

There was a grave silence. Yoruichi didn’t dare to speak.

“What were you saying, you brat?!” Houji barked and slapped Hashirama across the face.

Hashirama’s head turned and he frowned. “I was trying to find positives in your situation and we all can agree that it’s great that you will forever be remembered as a young man while most of the people will get old!” Hashirama said to defend myself.

“I will beat that humour out of you, you rude scallywag!” Houji grabbed Hashirama’s hair and slammed his face against the floor. And then again.

Yoruichi just watched Hashirama, disappointed.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you angry!” Hashirama screeched, feeling blood dripping from his nose. His intentions were good, yet Houji seemed insulted.

“Get out of here! Your father will know about this, I will make sure of that!” Houji screamed at Hashirama.

“Please don’t tell my father,” Hashirama stood up, pleading, his eyes started to fill with tears.

“I will inform him about your disrespectful behavior!” Houji said. “Leave.”

Hashirama took a deep breath and left the house. And there, on a lonely street, he started to cry. Not because of the beating, but because of how misunderstood he felt. About the embarrassment he just created for himself. How his whole clan would call him a problematic airhead, again. No matter what he did, he always felt like the outcast no one took seriously. 

***

Yoruichi finished Houji’s treatment late in the afternoon, just before the sun set. Hashirama’s scared expression when he upset Houji-sama still lingered in her mind. So, she decided to go home, grab some gyoza her older sister made and visit her cousin.

She found Hashirama sitting on the stairs of the veranda of his house. He seemed pensive, with his hand supporting his head, still in the clothes he earlier visited Houji in. They didn’t talk much although they were the same age, but she felt sorry for him.

“I brought you gyoza dumplings,” Yoruichi said and sat next to Hashirama on the stairs. She could see he was feeling bad and maybe the food would help. “My sister made them for you. I figured you’d be hungry.”

Hashirama felt like everyone was against him and it didn’t feel fair to him. He was degraded. How could Houji even dare to hurt him, the future leader of the clan? But he smiled at Yoruichi, like he was brave, like nothing was happening. “Thank you,” he couldn’t eat as his stomach was too tied. Then smiled at Yoruichi again, with his typical brave, fake smile.

“You made Houji-sama very angry. It took a while to calm him down. I tried to convince him not to tell your father and the council,” Yoruichi explained. “Is this the way all your visits go?”

“Honestly, yes, I’m used to being kicked out..” Hashirama replied evenly. He didn’t want to show his weakness.

Yoruichi didn’t know how to talk to Hashirama. If she were to tell him he was acting like a fool and he should be ashamed, it wouldn’t bring the wanted result. “I want to tell you something. Don’t ever talk to Houji-sama about his sickness. I’m aware you meant well, but you’ve hurt him with your words. He feels like a burden. You need to behave like he’s healthy. You can’t ask him how much time he has left!”

Hashirama raised his arms into the air, gesticulating. “I wanted him to show me his guts! I wanted to give him a chance to be honest! Look around. We live here in in this hell hole among people who pretend it’s alright to send children to die! Everyone is pretending he’s just a little sick, but he’s dying, like it is supposed to be a secret!” Hashirama spoke with passion. “It feels like everyone in our clan has a secret,” Hashirama lowered his head, “I’m tired of this.” 

Yoruichi frowned at Hashirama. There was some truth to what he said. Everyone seemed to have a secret. “Perhaps he doesn’t want to show his guts to a pubescent boy. Trust me. My mother is gravely ill, too. And if you told her what you’ve said to Houji-sama, you would make her cry. If this was a mission, you failed,” She reminded him.

“I won’t do as the rest of you want,” Hashirama furrowed his eyebrows.

“Why did you tell him the clan is saving money?”

“Because I wanted to show him that my father doesn’t care. And that one day, I will be a much better leader than he is. But Houji is on my father’s side, like everyone is!” Hashirama swallowed around a lump in his throat. “Why… Why do you want to be like everyone, Yoruichi?”

“I could ask you the same thing. Why are you trying so hard to be different from us? Better and smarter?” She retorted without missing a beat. Hashirama lived in a different universe than everyone else and seldom could they reason with him. She knew she couldn’t do anything about it.

“I’m not better, neither am I smarter, Yoruichi. I’m trying to open your eyes. The conditions in this clan are terrible! Everyone is scared to talk about how they feel! This is not how life is supposed to work and it will never work,” Hashirama closed his eyes. “Someone died on a mission because of me, and I was punished for it. And after that, no one really cared about the death. They punished me for losing their chess piece, not for ruining someone’s actual life!” Hashirama grabbed the wooden railing surrounding the steps. No one in the clan was insightful enough to understand. “Children are dying. And after they die, everyone pretends like they never existed.”

Yoruichi looked sadly at Hashirama. “One day you will lead this clan and you will get to do whatever you want,” the thought was scary to her. Hashirama appeared unhinged and unwell. “Or someone will stop you.”

“Maybe you are right. The council is against me, the council members only complain about me and don’t trust me at all. When I try to recommend a solution, they act like I’m creating problems, they don’t respect me at all,” Hashirama felt helpless.

“Are you surprised? Everyone hears about you all the time, usually not in a good way. You can’t gain people’s respect when you get kicked out of an execution of a sentence? You can’t ask council members, who have much more experience than you do, to respect you. You’re making fatal mistakes on missions. And if your father finds out what you said to Houji-sama, he will be embarrassed. You can’t blame everyone for being angry with you!” Yoruichi scolded Hashirama. Somehow, she felt for him. Like him, she was considered the least gifted kid of her father. If someone was the embarrassment, it was her. And whether Hashirama felt similar.

Her words hurt Hashirama. He knew he was an embarrassment. Although he didn’t particularly like his father, embarrassing him felt wrong. Maybe he really did talk too much. But in this clan, he was the only one who spoke out against injustice, everyone else was content and quiet, silently following the leader. 

“Thanks for reminding me,” Hashirama said gloomily. “I should rest. Who knows what Houji-san will tell the council tomorrow,” he added and stood up, not even touching the dumplings. He was angry with Yoruichi. Actually, he wanted to cry and weep, but not in front of her. That would be even more embarrassing.

“I’m sorry,” she knew she was being cruel. Although Hashirama made her angry, she didn’t have a reason to jump on him like that. She was just projecting her own insecurities onto him, because she knew how it felt to feel useless and unable to defend herself anymore.

Hashirama smiled glowingly at her, because he didn’t want to show a sign of weakness. “It’s alright. You’re just stating the truth, this is my problem,” Hashirama waved his hand in goodbye.

“I should go,” Yoruichi bowed respectfully .

“Good night,” Hashirama bowed as well. To him, Yoruichi seemed to always have the same sad face like something was deeply bothering her.

*******

That night held more secrets than it seemed. More secrets to be brought to life. As Yoruichi was finishing the dishes, her oldest sister Inori approached her.

“How is mother?“ Yoruichi asked. Their poor mother, dying on the first floor.

“Not well. Yoruichi, I need to talk to you,” Inori’s expression was serious.

“What is it, Inori?”

“I have done something terrible. Surely you and father will hate me for it,” Inori voiced. She was just eighteen years old.

“I could never hate you!” For Yoruichi, Inori was the perfect oldest sister. She cooked, cleaned, and she was a beast on missions. “What is it?”

“I’m pregnant,” Inori stated, tears beginning to leak down her face. 

“Oh no!” Yoruichi gasps. Inori was unwed and father had planned for her to marry someone rich and powerful.

“Do you hate me?” Inori asked between the hitching sobs.

“I don’t hate you… Who.. Who is the baby’s father?” Yoruichi asked.

“Aoshi…” Inori replied to her confidant.

Aoshi was a known womanizer who often slept around. But that wasn’t the worst part. He was a son of Ryuujin, a man who wanted to overthrow Butsuma a few years ago. For that, he received a seal and a stamp of a traitor. He was a pariah, hated by everyone in the clan, living at the outskirts of the compound. And his son was the worst possible suitor for Inori. Their father would consider this a tragedy. “Not the son of the betrayer,” Yoruichi looked down. What were they supposed to do? The grandchild of the traitor would also be stamped as a traitor.

And Inori, would now appear spoiled to their father. 

  * **Sadojima: Brother of Butsuma**
  * **Yoruichi: One of Sadojima’s daughters**
  * **Inori: Oldest Sadojima’s daughter**
  * **Ryuujin: Traitor of the clan**
  * **Aoshi: The son of Ryuujin, Inori’s secret lover**
  * **Houji: One of the Senju clan council members, gravely ill**
  * **Souji: Houji’s death brother**




	2. In The Back Of My Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hashirama is being punished for his behavior and Sadojima finds out his daughter is pregnant with the traitor's son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting more heated! At the bottom of the story is the characters list which I made so it's easier to read. Thank you for visitting and enjoy.

Toka was just returning from her mission. It wasn’t long since her brother died. Now, she was the only child of Hatsumomo, her mother. And she felt terrible about it. It didn’t help that everyone made fun of her speciality, genjutsu, no one took her seriously in the clan. As she was approaching her house, wearing an armor that was too big, a low voice suddenly disturbed her thoughts.

“Hey, kitty-cat,” the voice said.

Toka frowned and turned around. The blood on her clothes didn’t dry up yet and there was someone… cat calling her. “What?!” She turned around. It was Aoshi, a son of the traitor. Womanizer. His black hair, slicked back, did nothing for her. Neither did his tall build or handsome face. No, she was cool like a water.

“I just thought you looked really good in that armor,” Aoshi said, cigarette in his mouth. The stinky smoke reached Toka’s nostrils. “You look like you’ve killed a man or two,” he added.

“Maybe I did,” Toka said. She was not interested in men, her mother said it will only bring her trouble. She was supposed to focus on her genjutsu techniques, fighting and studying herbs and poisons. Men would only bring problems. Plus, her father wanted her to marry Tobirama, which felt weird to Toka as the Senju brothers were her first cousins, because her mother was a sister of Butsuma.

“Are you dangerous?” Aoshi asked, stepping towards her.

For Toka, it was probably the first time a pretty man showed an interest in her. And it scared her. She heard stories from her mother, about girls who fell in love with wrong men, got pregnant and ended up as housewives. It wasn’t Toka’s plan. She wanted to be a fighter, a warrior, as good as Tobirama and Hashirama, it was her goal. And everyone underestimated her. “Yes,” she replied shily. _You are dangerous_ , she thought. She was not interested. But his sudden interest made her feel good. 

“Maybe I should step back then,” Aoshi smirked.

“You should,” Toka replied, frowning. “Do you think you will get me? I will cut you like your bad hair!” She was too good for him. “Do you know who I am? I am Butsuma’s niece! And you’re a scum at the bottom of my shoe.”

“You wouldn’t be the first of Butsuma’s nieces,” Aoshi grinned, throwing away the burned fag. “See you later, kitty-cat,” he smiled again and left.

“See you never,” Toka replied. She was annoyed. She wanted to be a perceived for her skills, yet such men degraded her to just being a girl. And she didn’t want that, she didn’t want to just be someone’s love. Her dreams were far, far bigger than becoming a wife of a great man who would fight for her. 

***

Hashirama clenched an official scroll containing the council’s message. Houji-san told his father everything. And of course, Butsuma didn’t trust his eldest son. Butsuma acted like Hashirama was just a soldier he refused to talk to and instead was sending official scrolls with the time he was supposed to come to the board meeting. As it wasn’t enough that his mission failed. The embarrassment was spilling across his skin like an acid that didn’t start to work yet. He raised a rake from a ground in front of him and threw it into the fireplace with a verve so big that the old ashes flew through the air. Tobirama didn’t know yet. And Hashirama was afraid he will get angry.

Tobirama just came out of the kitchen with a snack he prepared. “Anija, how have you been?” he asked. The gaze on Hashirama’s face didn’t look good, but Tobirama didn’t want to start asking him just like that. 

Hashirama grabbed a piece of apple from Tobirama’s plate. He didn’t eat for hours because of his situation, but he knew he needed to eat before the meeting. “Bad. How about you?” the older Senju brother asked and handed his younger brother a scroll. “Father doesn’t even talk to me anymore. He summoned me to a board meeting through official mail writing. Again,” Hashirama sighed.

Tobirama started to read the scroll. He was quiet for a few seconds. He wanted to tell Hashirama ‘ _I told you so,_ ’ but he didn’t, because Hashirama looked defeated. People hated it when Tobirama said I told you so, yet what else was he supposed to say? He always warned them, but they didn’t listen and their life fell apart. What was there to say rather than _told you so_? “Well, what are you going to do? I hope you realize what you’re guilty of,” he told Hashirama calmly.

“It’s not what it looks like!” Hashirama exclaimed like he was trying to defend himself against a teacher at school. “My intentions with Houji-san were good! I told him I envy him for never growing old… I’m sorry, Tobirama,” Hashirama said and knelt down, on the floor, in front of Tobirama’s feet.

“I don’t understand how can we be related when you’re doing these foolish things! Why.. Why are you on the ground?! Stand up!” Tobirama looked in shock at his older brother who was wallowing on the floor.

“I’m trying to make you forgive me… Plus I’m training for the council meeting,” Hashirama explained from the floor, then stood up. “I wanted Houji-san to see the pros of his situation.”

“Houji’s situation has no benefits, that’s the point!” Tobirama yelled. He knew well Hashirama’s intentions weren’t bad, but that was maybe even worse. Whatever Hashirama sowed, he harvested just anger from people around him. “I just don’t understand what is making you act this absurdly. But it’s fine,” Tobirama finally calmed down.

“Thank you,” Hashirama smiled. “Do you think they will kick me out of the clan?” Something in Hashirama wanted to cry out in anger. His intentions were never bad, yet everyone was constantly angry with him. It was like a candid curse.

***

“I wish you a beautiful evening, council! I’m pleased to see you again and I would like to express my deepest grief over my behaviour that occurred just yesterday, so please accept my greatest apology for being too rough around the edges,” Hashirama stated as he entered the hall where the council was sitting. He was talking like he had the speech written before and just memorized it. All eyes were on him. His father’s, his aunt’s, his uncle’s, Houji’s... He felt like a sad sacrificial lamb among them.

Yoruichi’s father Sadojima looked at Hashirama. He considered the boy to be a result of Butsuma’s terrible parenting. If Butsuma had been a good father, Hashirama would have been a good son, but Butsuma was failing hard and Hashirama was the product of his failures. “I devise to kick him out of the clan and brand him a traitor. You’ve almost done it once before, Butsuma, when he was being friendly with that Uchiha brat. No one wants Hashirama here anyway and everyone says that he’s basically an Uchiha in Senju’s clothes,” Sadojima said.

The oldest member of the council frowned, looking at Sadojima. His name was Genbu and he had ten children. “Hashirama here is a young boy. I appeal on your wisdom, Butsuma, that you won’t punish him too hard. Frankly, we are all to blame, because we didn’t teach him that words can be hurtful. He needs patient mentors. I promise you that if we give him a chance, he will one day bloom into a beautiful flower that will be so loved by the gods.”

“I was young too! And I was never this disrespectful! We can’t constantly forgive him!” Houji added.

Butsuma was listening to opinions he didn’t ask for. Genbu was too kind. Houji was too bitter. “Hashirama is a soldier, not a son of some pernicious peasant,” Butsuma voiced his opinion, gazing angrily at Sadojima. There were lines he didn’t cross. Like Sadojima, questioning his children. Butsuma was suspicious that Sadojima wanted to get rid of his sons so he would in the end become the leader of the clan himself. Butsuma impaled Sadojima with his look. “Hashirama WILL become the leader of the clan. And it’s necessary for him to act accordingly. Anyway,” Butsuma still didn’t flicker, watching Sadojima. “We aren’t some filthy animals that kick someone out of the clan. I’ve never kicked you out,” Butsuma was thinking of their past arguments. 

Sadojima rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. Maybe it was that easy - Hashirama inherited his behaviour from Butsuma. Hashirama was just a bigger fool… Or he just pretended to be this stupid and was just making fun of all of them. “Hashirama should apologize to all of us. For taking our time here,” Sadojima said, visibly annoyed.

Hashirama wished for Butsuma to at least pretend to like him. But his father felt like a stranger, just like the rest of the council. His only support in this enemy room was his brother. “I’m sorry, Houji-sama,” Hashirama knelt down to the ground, touching the wooden floor with his forehead, just like before with Tobirama. “I was being reckless and foolish!”

Houji almost laughed. “I propose we lock him up in a shed without a window or source of light for a few days. That could show him. Physical punishments don’t seem to work on him.”

“A few days? He will be terribly traumatized! We should lock him up until... Until he writes a poem,” Genbu suggested.

Sadojima laughed. “He will die of hunger. Do you think that the brat can write anything? Wasn’t he kicked out of school? But it will be his own fault,” he grinned. Hashirama dying felt like a dream that would lead him towards his goal.

Butsuma looked at Hashirama, still kneeling on the ground like crumpled paper. “We will lock you up then. Until you write a… Poem,” Butsuma took a sip from his sake cup. He didn’t like the poetry part, because they were warriors, not poets. Poetry was full of saccharine emotions he didn’t like. “Stand up, you nitwit.”

“I hope you aren’t scared, my child,” Genbu looked at Hashirama.

Hashirama finally raised from the ground. “I’m not scared of the dark. I’m capable of lighting up even the darkest places,” he smiled. “I can rhyme. It’s not a torture. It will help me think about myself.” Hashirama reminded everyone. It wasn’t pleasant, but Hashirama knew at that moment that breaking his dreams of peace will take more than just the clan council. Hashirama was much stronger than they thought, and he was ready to show it. He wasn’t a child anymore and he was able to face the obstacles. “Thank you for your leniency, I accept the punishment, council.” Hashirama said as he bowed down.

***

Butsuma was sitting in his office when his assistant brought him another stack of papers. His current assistant was the oldest son of his brother, nephew Omeshirama. Omeshirama did everything right, just like Butsuma was asking. For Butsuma though, Omeshirama was what he called an anal climber. Which meant a person who would do everything for others to like him, to lick their asses. He wanted to learn from Butsuma, but Butsuma mainly just used Omeshirama.

Omeshirama had straight, under the shoulders long, dark brown hair and tan skin. He was reminding people of Butsuma, maybe more than Sadojima.

“Finally,” Butsuma said. Sometimes, he wished Hashirama was more like Omeshirama. But was it perhaps the genes of his ex-wife that made Hashirama so bratty? It couldn’t be his genes.

“Honorable uncle, I have something to ask you,” Omeshirama started.

“What is it? Spill it, I don’t have a whole day for you!” Butsuma barked.

“I found a dog. I started to call him Bors and I… I know this sounds very bold of me, but I think I can train him. Like a ninja dog… A ninken,” Omeshirama carefully said. Clan members weren’t allowed to have pets, but if he could show Butsuma that the dog will be useful, maybe his plan would work. 

“A dog?” Butsuma repeated. He’d prefer to eat it than feed it. 

“My father won’t allow me to have a dog and train him. But I think it could be really good for our clan,” Omeshirama clenched his teeth. He didn’t want to show how anxious Butsuma made him feel.

Butsuma knew that this will make Sadojima angry and he kind of liked that idea. To allow Sadojima’s kids to keep a dog was a good revenge for Sadojima talking about Hashirama. And this could really help the clan. “You can keep the dog. But you need to inform the council each month about the training. It’s not a pet. Is that clear? We won’t feed a pet. He will be eaten if his results are unsatisfactory.”

Omeshirama looked at Butsuma with a serious look. “Thank you, honorable uncle!”

“One more thing,” Butsuma raised his eyebrow.

“Yes, sir? Do you want a new bottle of sake?” Omeshirama asked.

“No. I need you to keep an eye on my sons. Especially Hashirama. He’s impudent. His behavior is unacceptable. We need to smooth him over. Do you understand?” Butsuma gave Omeshirama a curious gaze.

“Of course, Butsuma-sama,” Omeshirama nodded. His long, straight hair hanging behind his shoulders like a waterfall. Butsuma hated the long hair.

“We have a deal then,” Butsuma smirked. What a dirty way to make his only living brother angry.

***

_My dearest Inori,_

_accept this token of my love. It’s a locket with my photo inside. This way you can look at me whenever you want._

_Love,_

_Aoshi_

***

Sadojima was feverishly furious. His older brother announced that he allowed HIS own children to keep a dog. A filthy, flimsy, stinky dog. This was how Butsuma constantly undermined his own authority in Sadojima’s own house. He would cram the goddamn rabid dog into Butsuma’s ass if he could, but Butsuma wouldn’t even feel it. He was glad Hashirama was a brat, this was how karma worked. Sadojima’s children did a number on him. He just finished reading a love letter Aoshi wrote to his oldest daughter Inori. It was a disgrace, a disgrace he needed to get rid off the worst way possible. He didn’t need such defamatorily rumors flying around.

At that time, Yoruichi entered the kitchen that smelled like an early prepared green tea, the one that only Inori could prepare with such a delicacy. She saw her father drinking from the cup. 

“Honorable father,” she bowed down.

“Where were you?” Sadojima asked her. “You’re supposed to be taking care of your mother!”

“I’m sorry, honorable father. Mother said She won’t be needing me today, so I went to train my kekkei genkai,” Yoruichi hung her head. The truth was that she was training. But she needed to train away from the Senju compound. Her training focused on the manipulation of chakra. Most of the time, she was just sitting for hours, eyes closed, waving her hands. And she was constantly disturbed in the cursed compound. Her kekkei genkai was creating diamond crystals and transferring chakra from one crystal to another. She trained with different sizes and with different lengths. In a week, she was able to absorb chakra with one of the crystals while inserting chakra into another, but this often ended up in one of the crystals exploding. After a few weeks, the crystals stopped getting destroyed, because Yoruichi was finally able to tell the exact amount of chakra that was just enough for a crystal. In months, she started to train with moving targets, because enemies in battles weren’t nice enough to not move. But the jutsu still needed to be perfected.

“Your stupid kekkei genkai again, the crystals, the diamonds,” Sadojima rolled his eyes. He couldn’t take that seriously. It sounded like a kekkei genkai fit for a female that she was.

“You said it wasn’t diamonds,” Yoruichi opened her mouth. Before, she was thinking they could sell the diamonds and make money, pay for the expenses of the whole clan. But her father stopped her from doing so a few times. He told her it was because it was illegal to sell the creations of their ninja powers and that they would have to pay a high fee or go to a jail in case they were caught. So Yoruichi didn’t try to sell them.

“How should I call it then? Pebble-no-jutsu?!” Sadojima yelled at her sarcastically. “Call it zircon-no-jutsu, I don’t care. It’s useless. You need to get married, right after Inori. You should probably work on your hair and skin before I will have to find you someone older, like…” Sadojima stopped for a few seconds. “Houji-sama was very happy with your work,” he added. Of course, she was a woman, what else was there than nursing the patients? Unlike Hashirama, she was respectful, it was given, _she had to be_. Sadojima felt like a good parent, unlike Butsuma. His children respected everyone. “Maybe you will have to visit him more often. Hopefully, people will talk about your massaging skills and someone will ask for your hand. Because it surely won’t be for your looks, unlike Inori,” Sadojima pointed out. Inori was a beauty. Yoruichi on the other hand… Had pores on her nose, dirty skin, hair like besom and she was almost sickly thin and short. 

“I’ve told you I don’t want kids or a husband.” Yoruichi was seven years old when she exclaimed, during a family lunch, that she will never have children. And a childless marriage would be just about sex, therefore pointless for her. Her whole family watched her before all the hell broke loose. Yet, she never changed her mind, although everyone was telling her she will eventually get married and have children. That felt wrong.

“You will change your mind,” Sadojima corrected his daughter. 

“Hopefully Omeshirama will find a nice wife,” Yoruichi started to prepare dinner. Sadojima’s words reflected the fact that he never listened to her and didn’t take her seriously.

“He’s still working as a servant to my brother. He makes me sick. He will never become the leader of our respectable clan, he’s the third in the row,” Sadojima sighed.

“I believe Butsuma-sama is very pleased with Omeshirama,” Yoruichi said quietly.

“Omeshirama wants the influence. But his influence will be just as small as mine – perhaps even smaller. I would like to do something about it. But we can only hope some damned Uchiha will kill Tobirama and Hashirama will accidentally fall down from a cliff and kill himself,” Sadojima was thinking. “Or we can kill them ourselves. Omeshirama is so much wiser than them, yet I can’t make him the leader because I was born after my foolish brother.”

“Father, they are your nephews!” Yoruichi was shocked. She wasn’t scared of what could father do to her cousins, god knew she wasn’t close to them, but she was scared that Butsuma could do the same to Sadojima’s kids. They were clan, a family. They were supposed to work together. Not act like enemies.

“Even if they were my sons, I would kill them just to make Omeshirama the leader, because… I have this bad feeling in my joints that if Hashirama becomes the leader of the clan... It will be the last thing that will happen to us,” Sadojima had nothing anymore, besides his hatred for the Uchihas. Even the love for his wife got cold at the moment he found out she will die. There was no reason to love her anymore. He loved his kids in his own way, but he was also aware that they could die any day. That was why he tried not to cling to them too much. Instead, he was trying to parent them carefully.

“I want to talk to you about something important,” Sadojima took a sip from his tea.

“What is it, honorable father?”

“I have read a letter Aoshi wrote to your older sister,” it annoyed him.”Why do I have to be the one with so many daughters?” The man was annoyed.

“They really seem to like each other,” Yoruichi’s stomach turned. Inori was pregnant with Aoshi’s baby. Yoruichi hated Aoshi for hurting their family by making Inori pregnant. “I think he will propose to her soon,” Yoruichi lied. She wanted Aoshi to marry Inori, because he was the only option she had now that she was pregnant with his baby.

“Propose?!” Sadojima was shocked, in the worst way. “I would rather kill him! Are you saying it’s something more serious than exchanging letters?!”

In that moment, Yoruichi realized one thing. Aoshi will never marry Inori. Because Aoshi was already dead, only no one knew it yet. Sadojima was willing to kill him, just because Inori loved him. And he would do it himself, or he would send someone else. Either way, Aoshi’s destiny was doomed. “Yes. Yes, father, Aoshi and Inori are serious,” Yoruichi explained.

“This can’t be. Inori needs to marry someone better,” Sadojima grumpled. “She’s not going to see him ever again.”

“No, father, Aoshi is Inori’s only option!” she yelled. “She loves him!” Yoruichi was scared for the baby Inori carried under her heart.

“Love you say. It’s good for nothing. But power is. We need to get rid of Aoshi,” Sadojima exclaimed.

Yoruichi panicked, tears started to wet her cheeks. Yet, this way, she could maybe make a deal with her father. If she kills Aoshi, he could possibly let her nephew live. But there were also the bitter part. If she killed Aoshi, Inori would never forgive her. “Father!”

“I can’t do it myself. My hands need to be clean, but yours are... Already a mess,” Sadojima looked at Yoruichi’s hands. 

Yoruichi desperately needed an advice. But who was there? Her mother was gravely ill. Her sister was pregnant. Her other siblings weren’t trustworthy. And talk to Butsuma felt too risky. What was the right thing to do? From their family standpoint? From the clan standpoint? “I will do it, father,” Yoruichi lowered her head.

Sadojima hated Aoshi because he hated Ryuujin. If Yoruichi wouldn’t do it, he would make Omeshirama do it. No one will care about Aoshi’s death anyway. Butsuma won’t care either. Maybe he would be complaining about killing off soldiers. But Inori was a treasure Sadojima wanted to give to someone who was worth it. “Don’t cry. We will make Inori marry Hashirama,” Sadojima was glad it didn’t take much to break Yoruichi.

Yoruichi looked at Sadojima, surprised. Hashirama was the future leader of the clan, how would that look like? Getting married while carrying somebody else’s baby? Sadojima didn’t know Inori was pregnant. “Can they get married fast?” Something in Yoruichi hoped that perhaps if the wedding happened now, everyone would think the baby was Hashirama’s.

“I don’t think that will fly. We would have to wait maybe three years, Butsuma won’t allow it. Hopefully, Inori won’t be spoiled by then,” Sadojima coughed.

“S-Spoiled?” Yoruichi repeated. “Why is it so bad.. Anyway?”

“Because she could get pregnant,” Sadojima frowned.

“And what would you do, honorable father, if she was pregnant?”

“I would beat her up. It’s not easy to get rid of an unborn baby, something could happen to her. And I don’t want any of this to happen, so Aoshi needs to disappear forever. You know how your mother would be upset if anything happened to Inori. It would probably be the last nail in her coffin. Inori would lose her future. Our closest family would lose everything. She would be an embarrassement. She would probably run off because she would disappoint me so. And I would let her run.”

“Maybe.. Maybe it would be the only grandchild mother would see, because she is so sick,” Yoruichi was shaking with fear.

Sadojima started to scream into his daughter’s face. “What are you saying?! Are you saying my Inori should get pregnant with that brat so your mother can see a grandchild?” He grabbed Yoruichi’s shirt. This was an insult. For him AND for his beautiful daughter. Sadojima smacked her across the face. “Don’t even speak anymore, do you understand? If you want to help mother, make a tea and a dinner! You’re forgetting your chores!” Sadojima let Yoruichi go. He didn’t specifically enjoy beating his children, but he did it to teach them a lesson. He was pleased with his parenting, because all his kin were so submissive thanks to that.

Yoruichi cried out. This was happening a lot, Sadojima had his temper. “I’m not saying she should get pregnant,” she looked into the floor, sounding like an empty shell. “I’m saying she already is.”

“What?” Sadojima broke the long silence. Another smack would be useless. It wasn’t Yoruichi who spread her legs for the traitor. It was his smart, beautiful Inori, the daughter he saw on the top of the clan. And now she was rotten, all of his hopes were gone. How was he to look at her now?

“I’m so sorry, father,” his daughter was shaking, crying and panicking. She was supposed to keep Inori’s secret, yet she told their father.

Sadojima grabbed a tea cup and threw it against the floor. So hard, that the shreds left a dent in the wood. “That foolish, filthy little whore!” He yelled, but didn’t hurt Yoruichi. “Don’t defend her! She spoiled your name too! No one will want you, because you are her sister!” He grabbed Yoruichi by her arm. “Kill him, do you understand?!”

Yoruichi felt like a traitor herself. “Please, just don’t hurt Inori!” Yoruichi knew she was cutting the bond between her and her sister.

“Inori is dead to me. She hurt herself,” Sadojima wasn’t sure how to deal with Inori and the child yet. He didn’t want to feed it as it would be a grandchild of the traitor.

“I will kill him, tomorrow,” Yoruichi claimed. She didn’t like Aoshi, because it was all his fault, but to kill him meant to hurt Inori, which was causing her grief. “Just… Just please, don’t kill Inori too.”

“I won’t, it would kill your mother,” he wanted to add that maybe it would be the best to kill Inori, then his wife would die too and it would end her suffering. “Who will marry her now? Only some uneducated simpleton with a sick mind without morals and without any good judgement and mainly, the absolute donkey and an utter fool, would marry her!” Sadojima was trying to breathe. “Well, that does sound like Hashirama,” he added.

“I can talk to him! I know him well! He has this weird inner moral code he lives by. He is very compassionate and irrational. I could maybe manipulate him into marrying pregnant Inori,” Yoruichi told Sadojima her idea.

“Take care of the traitor first!” Sadojima ordered. Hashirama really was a fool. And if Inori could marry him, perhaps she would really lead the clan through him, because she was so much smarter. And Hashirama would just serve as a puppet, while Inori would pull the strings like a puppeteer. His child at the top of the clan.

**Hatsumomo: Sister of Butsuma and Sadojima, Toka’s mother  
Toka: Daughter of Hatsumomo; cousin of Hashirama and Tobirama (canon character)**  
Sadojima: Brother of Butsuma  
Yoruichi: One of Sadojima’s daughters  
Inori: Oldest Sadojima’s daughter  
**Omeshirama: Sadojima’s oldest son**  
Ryuujin: Traitor of the clan  
Aoshi: The son of Ryuujin, Inori’s secret lover  
Houji: One of the Senju clan council members, gravely ill  
Souji: Houji’s death brother  
**Genbu: The oldest member of the Senju clan council**

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!   
> This is a fanfiction that was created in Spring 2018 by me and mainly by my co-writers and co-creators Tayuya, Toka, Sora, Kijon, Souji, Ryuu and Gaaruko. They are behind most of the OCs and their characters.   
> I also want to thank to Jess @Thefounders.tumblr.com for being my betareader and correcting my mistakes.   
> I'm not sure how long this fanfiction is going to be, but it's a longer project and I don't know how far it's going to go. I'm not sure if this story is entertaining enough for multiple chapters, but I'm trying to have a fast pacing.   
> Say hi to me on oh-my-hashirama.tumblr.com


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